Friday 20 November 2015

NaNoWriMo Update Number 2

You can read my original goal setting post here.

I've completed one of the goals! Yesterday morning, I hit send on four emails that have now winged their merry way over to some lovely literary agents. The emails were actually prepared to go on Tuesday, but I decided to leave them a day in order to make sure that I wasn't overlooking any glaring errors that would reflect really badly on me.

Wednesday night, I read them again, checked the submission guidelines and saved them all. I hit send from my phone on my way into work Thursday morning - this way they're the first thing in their inbox this morning, instead of the last thing in yesterday's.

There is a massive sense of relief in me, having finally done this. I intend to keep doing it too. Because here's the odd thing - I'm currently not focussed on getting a yes. No doubt a lack of replies or an outright no will be painful, but right now I'm almost not even looking for representation, I'm looking for something in me that will help me move from dreamer to honest-to-goodness writer. Submitting feels like a crucial part of that process - getting used to letting things go enough to actually maybe get published.

My second goal has started to develop too, although with a surprising - to me at least! - twist. I've got two novels in the planning.

I had intended to sit down and work on the idea I've had puttering vaguely about in my head for the last two years (I know, I know - two years, ye gads!). It had, in the last couple of weeks, starting to press more firmly at the forefront of my mind, gently, politely asking for my attention. Characters, plot points and themes came into sharper focus, I felt ready to get all that down on the page.

And then. Then another idea bobbed up. Well. To say 'bobbed' implies that it floated gently to the surface and just floated around minding its own business. It didn't. It threw itself at me with one of the most clearest, harshest scenes I think I've ever imagined for a story. It's not developed much beyond that idea, bar the barest of character developments, But it is all written down, ready to be added to as and when new ideas grow.

Strange to think that not so long ago I was feeling completely blocked. I'm still not writing every day, but this feels like a huge leap in the right direction.

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